Dairy equipment



L- F. BENDER DAIRY EQUIPMENT Sept. 4, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 28, 1960 A TTORN .5.

Sept. 4, 1962 Filed April 28, 1960 Hll MILK RECEIVING ROOM F. BENDER 3,052,190

DAIRY EQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MILK/N6 ARM WALL;

SINGLE LINE WASH/N6 5 Y3 T E M MILK/N6 AREA CIRCUIT LINE MILK F1569? CONVEYING WASHING f :13; l 451 21:: [5|

MILK CONVEYING CONVEYOR BUCKET USING A RECEIVING ROOM SINGLE LINE MILK CONVEYING SYSTEM mum/v6 AREA 4 I co/vvevan BUCKET INVENTOR. Q LEBE/VJJER \1 BY Z 54% WW? 7122 ATTORA/E 5.

United States Patent 3,052,190 DAIRY EQUIPMENT Lloyd F. Bender, Rte. 2, Hayward, Wis. Filed Apr. 28, 1960, Ser. No. 25,453 9 Claims. (Cl. 103236) This invention rel-ates generally to improvements in the art of conveying liquid such as milk and cleansing solutron through the liquid conducting pipe lines of dairies, or the like, and it relates more specifically to various improvements in the construction and operation of milking machine parts washers and allied dairy equipment.

The primary object of the invention is to provide various improvements in dairy equipment involving vacuum actuated and that controlled liquid conducting lines for milk and cleansing solution, which materially enhances the efficiency and simplifies the construction of such milk handling installations.

Some of the more important specific objects of the invention are as follows:

To provide a simplified dairy equipment washer the various parts of which may be readily constructed and assembled, and conveniently dismantled for cleaning and sterilizing purposes.

To provide an improved milk transfer unit which effectively eliminates undesirable foaming of the milk being transported from one locality to another by the device.

To provide an improved liquid propelling assemblage which may be utilized to interchangeably convey either mi k or cleansing solution through the pipe lines of a milk conveying system.

To provide an improved milk line washer for dairies which is extremely flexible in its adaptations to maintain such lines in highly sanitary condition at all times.

To provide an improved milking machine parts washing device .of the float controlled vacuum actuated type, which is relatively noiseless, and can be reliably operated with minimum attention.

To provide an improved automatically functioning milk transfer and pipe line cleansing system adapted to be used in diverse ways to facilitate dairy operations.

To provide an improved vacuum and atmospheric air valve control assemblage for milking machine parts washers and liquid conveying systems, which functions to gradually open the air admission valve whenever the vacuum valve is closing.

To provide an improved float actuated control valve structure for milking equipment washing and sterilizing units which can be manufactured with utmost precision and installed in such units at moderate cost, and which will operate with maximum reliability and efficiency.

These and other objects and advantages of the inven tion will be apparent from the following description.

A clear conception of the several features constituting the present improvement, and of the construction and operation of diverse washer units and systems embodying the invention, may be had by referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

FIG; 1 is a central vertical section through a commercial liquid pumping and milk line washing unit, showing the vacuum valve open and the air inlet valve closed;

FIG. 2 isan enlarged side and bottom perspective view of one type of the improved atmospheric air inlet valve such as shown in'FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse horizontal section through the upper cup closure of the unit, taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is another transverse horizontal section through the same upper cup closure of the unit, taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is still another transverse horizontal section through the unit, taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a transverse vertical section through the lower cup closure of the same unit, taken along the line 66 of FIG. 1 but also showing a fragment of the valve actuating float in section;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary central transverse vertical section through a modified vacuum and air inlet control valve assemblage, and which is also applicable to a unit such as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a typical dairy installation embodying one of the improved units applied to a single liquid conveying line washing system associated with auto matic rnilkers;

FIG. 9 is another diagram showing a modified typical dairy installation embodying one of the new units applied to a circuit line conveying and washing system;

FIG. 10 is still another diagram showing a further modified typical dairy installation also embodying one of the improved units applied to a single milk line conveying system associated with a milk dump tank; and

FIG. 11 is an enlarged section through a special valve associated with the dump tank of MG. 10.

While the invention has been shown and described herein as having been applied to only three diiferent types of line washers and milk transporting systems, it is also advantageously applicable to many other types of such systems; and it is also contemplated that specific terms well known to the industry and which have been employed herein, be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the actual disclosure.

Referring especially to FIGS. 1 to 6 inclusive of the drawing, the improved dairy equipment shown therein, comprises in general, a transparent liquid receptacle 14 having open upper and lower ends; an inverted cup-shaped closure 15 sealingly cooperable with the upper receptacle end and having therein a fixed depending annular central wall 16 while its flat top is provided with a fixed central vacuum tube 17 and with a series of air inlet openings 18 both communicable with the receptacle interior within the wall 16; another cup-shaped closure 19* sealingly cooperable with the lower receptacle end and having therein a normally fixed but removable guide bar 20, while its bottom 21 is dished and its side wall is provided with a fixed liquid inlet and outlet connection 22. disposed approximately in alinement with the lower portion of the closure bottom 21; a vacuum valve 26 adapted to seat against the bottom of the tube 17 and having thereon a guide 24 slidable within this tube; an upright longitudinally reciprocable rod 2'5 secured to the vacuum valve 23 and extending through the receptacle 14 while being guided for rectilinear reciprocation by the guide bar 20 and guide 24; a flexible atmospheric air inlet disk valve 26 snugly embracing the tube 17 and having thereon a series of depending pins 27 passing with substantial clearance through the air inlet openings 18 within the wall 16, these pin's being engageab le by a flange 28 carried by the valve 23 to progressively uncover the openings 18 whenever the valve 23 is closing; a float 29 adapted to ride upon liquid in the receptacle 14 and to move along the rod '25 between adjustable lower and upper stops 30, 31 respectively secured to this rod; and a hose '32 connecting an outlet nipple 36 in the connection 22. with a nipple 34 for directing liquid into the upper closure 15 toward the periphery of the central wall'16.

The receptacle 14 is preferably formed of shatter-proof glass or other durable transparent material, and the closures 15, 19 coact with the receptacle ends through gaskets 36 of rubber or the like. The upper end of the vacuum tube 17 is engaged by a clamping block 37 having therein a vacuum passage connecting the interior of the receptacle 14 with a vacuum source through a threaded nipple 38, and the entire washing and pumping unit is adapted to be supported in a C-shaped frame not shown but which coacts with the nipple 38- and with the lower end portion of the receptacle 14 and which is adapted to be mounted upon a wall or the like in a well known manner. The closures 15, 19 are preferably formed of corrosion resistant sheet metal such as stainless steel, and the depending annular wall 16 of the upper closure 15 should extend below the inwardly directed liquid inlet nipple 34 and has its lower extremity flared outwardly as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, in order to convert the cascading liquid which is delivered by this nipple 34 against the exterior of the wall 16 into an annular outwardly and downwardly directed film falling by gravity into the receptacle 14.

The liquid supply and exhaust connection 22 of the lower closure 19 is located as near as possible to the lowermost portion of the centrally dished bottom 21 of this closure in order to insure complete drainage of liquid from within the closure 19 whenever the vacuum valve 23 is closed and the air admission valve 26 is open; and the guide bar 20 which spans the interior of the closure 19 is formed of resilient metal and has its opposite upstanding ends provided with outwardly directed ridges 40 adapted to be snapped into grooves or over the upper olfset at the brim of the cup, as shown in FIG. 6 in order to detachably retain the bar 20* in position. The liquid inlet nipple 3-3 which is secured to the liquid connection 22 of the lower closure 19 preferably extends at an angle away from this connection as shown in FIGS. 1, and 6 in order to avoid excessive obstruction to the flow of liquid into and out of the unit, and to also cause the liquid which is by-passed through the flexible hose 32 and nipple 34 into the upper closure 15 to flow at relatively high velocity.

The vacuum control valve 23 which is adapted to seat against the lower end of the air outlet tube 17 and the upper extension guide 24 of which is slidable within this tube and cooperates with the guide bar 20 to confine the rod 25 to rectilinear reciprocation, may be variably weighted to counteract sudden closure thereof by the rising float 29 which is sealed to confine air therein and is adapted to travel along the rod 25 between the stops 30, 31. The flexible air inlet disk valve 26 which snugly embraces the vacuum tube 17 and which carries the rigid depending pins 27, may be formed of relatively soft rubber so that diiferent peripheral portions thereof may flex independently of others in order to unseat the air inlet openings 18 in succession when the vacuum valve 23 is closing. -As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, these pins 27 are of progressively diiferent lengths and the actuating disk 28 carried by the vacuum valve 23 and which successively engages the pins '27 of diminishing lengths whenever the valve 23 is closing, will produce the desired gradual opening of the air ports or openings 18. However, as shown in the modification of FIG. 7, the same desirable action may be obtained by making all of the pins 27 of the same length and by inclining the disk 28' relative to the central axis of the valve 23, and in either case the disk valve 26 should coact with the flat top of the upper closure 25 to seal the openings 18 when the vacuum valve 23 is wide open.

When the various parts of the improved unit have been properly constructed and assembled as above described, it may be utilized either to pulsate washing and sterilizing liquid derived from a source of supply, back and forth through a pipe line, or to pump milk derived from milking machine teat cups connected to such a conveying line to a storage tank. In either case the unit will function automatically as shown by the arrows in the diagrams of FIGS. 8 to inclusive; and in all cases, when the tube 17 is connected to a source of vacuum liquid will be drawn through the connection 22 into the bottom of the receptacle 14 and will cause the float 29 to rise and eventually close the valve 23 whenever the float engages ports or openings 18 will be gradually opened by the disk the tank 50, while the dump tank 50 28 and pins 27 to admit atmospheric air into the receptacle 14 and these inlet openings 18 will be wide open when the vacuum valve 23 is fully closed, whereupon the air pressure within the receptacle will cause the liquid to gravitate through the connection 22 until the float 29 engages the lower stop 30 on the rod 25 and thereby opens the valve 23 while permitting the valve 26 to close the air inlet openings 18. This cycle of operation will continue automatically as long as the tube 17 'is connected to the vacuum source, and without further attention.

Referring specifically to the diagram of FIG. 8, herethe washing unit is shown as being utilized to wash and sterilize a single liquid conducting line 42 of considerable length, and wherein the unit is connected to one end of this line within one room such as the milking area of a dairy, while the opposite end of the line 42 is immersed within a supply of cleansing liquid confined within a tank 43 located in another room such as the milk receiving and storing and treating room. When this system is functioning merely as a line washer the milking machine connecting valves 44 in the line 42 will be closed.

In the diagram of FIG. 9, the unit is shown as being utilized in conjunction with a circuit line 45 of consider-- able length having a return bend and sections provided with a plurality of milking machine connecting valves 44 located within the milking area, while the milk conveying and washing unit is confined in the milk receiving room. One end of the circuit line 45 is connected directly to the lowermost portion of the bottom closure 19 while its opposite end 46 extends into a tank 43 which is adapted to either contain cleansing solution when the line 45 is being washed and the valves 44 are closed, or to receive bulk.

milk from the milking machine when the remote end of the line within the tank is plugged or capped and the valves 44 are open. In this interchangeable installation the lower closure 19 of the line washing and milk conveying unit is provided with an additional milk delivery tube 47 attached to the connection 22 and having a reed valve. 48 at its outlet end for discharging milk into the tank 43 when the cleansing solution has been removed. a

In the diagram of FIG. 10, the unit is shownas being utilized to convey bulk milk from a dump tank 49 lo cated within the milking area into a bulk tank 50 or cooler disposed within a receiving room, through a single liquid conducting line 51 having a series of valves 44 associated,

therewith. The connection 22 of the unit is connected to one extreme end of the line 51 and the opposite end of this line is provided with a reed valve 48 directed into is upwardly open to receive milk and has its lowermost portion connected with one of the inlet valves 44 by a tube 52. All of the remaining valves 44 in the pipe line 51 are closed and the, interior of the tank 49 is provided with a ball valve 53 which floats on the milk but closes the tank outlet when no liquid is present, while the inlet end of the tube 52 is provided with a special check valve such as shown enlarged in FIG. 11 for positively preventing return flow of liquid from the line 51 to the tank 49. 1

It will thus be noted that the improved unit is susceptable of many uses in dairies, to either pulsate washing and sterilizing solutions through milking machine of various lengths, or to transport milk from place to place. The improved unit is obviously simple and durable in; construction, and maybe quickly dismantled for cleaning and reassembled for normal use. The improved vacuum" and air inlet valves require no great manufacturing accuracy and can be produced at very moderate cost, but they do however function with utmost precision. The foam eliminating wall 16 disposed within the upper closure effectively prevents excessive accumulation of foam within the receptacle 14, and the invention has proven highly satisfactory and successful in actual use.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

1. Dairy equipment comprising, a receptacle for liquid, a closure for the upper portion of said receptacle and having thereon an air outlet communicable with a vacuum source and several segregated openings communicable with the ambient atmosphere, an upright rod reciprocably mounted within said receptacle and having thereon a vacuum valve cooperable with said outlet to alternately connect the receptacle interior with said vacuum source, an air inlet valve cooperable with said openings to admit air to the interior of said receptacle whenever said vacuum valve is closing, means operable by said rod to cause said air admission valve to gradually uncover said several openings in succession, a float operable by liquid within said receptacle to reciprocate said rod, and liquid inlet and discharge means communicating with said receptacle.

2. Dairy equipment comprising, a receptacle for liquid, a closure for the upper portion of said receptacle and having thereon an air outlet communicable with a vacuum source and several segregated openings communicable with the ambient atmosphere, an upright rod reciprocably mounted within said receptacle and having thereon a vacuum valve cooperable with said outlet to alternately connect the receptacle interior with said vacuum source, a single flexible air inlet valve having pins extending into said receptacle and being cooperable with said openings to gradually admit air to the receptacle interior whenever said vacuum valve is closing, a member carried by said rod and coacting with said pins to successively uncover said openings, a float operable by liquid within said receptacle to reciprocate said rod, and liquid inlet and discharge means communicating with a lower portion of the receptacle.

3. Dairy equipment comprising, a receptacle for liquid, a closure for the upper portion of said receptacle and having thereon an air outlet communicable with a vacuum source and several segregated air inlets communicable with the ambient atmosphere, a longitudinally reciprocable rod mounted within said receptacle and being operably connected to a vacuum valve cooperable with said outlet to connect the receptacle interior with said vacuum source, an air inlet valve cooperable with said inlets to admit air to the interior of said receptacle whenever said vacuum valve is closing, means operable to cause said air inlet valve to successively gradually uncover said several inlets, a float operable by liquid within said receptacle to reciprocate said rod, and liquid inlet and discharge means communicating with said receptacle.

4. Dairy equipment comprising, a receptacle for liquid, a closure for the upper portion of said receptacle and having thereon an air outlet communicable with a vac uum source and several segregated independent air inlets communicable with the ambient atmosphere, an upright longitudinally reciprocable rod mounted within said receptacle and coacting with a vacuum valve cooperable with said outlet to connect the receptacle interior with said vacuum source, a single flexible air inlet disk valve having projections extending into said receptacle and being cooperable with said inlets to admit air to the receptacle interior whenever said vacuum valve is approaching said air outlet, a member carried by said rod and being formed to coact with said valve projections to successively gradually uncover said air inlets, a float operable by liquid within said receptacle to reciprocate said rod, and liquid inlet and discharge means communi' cating with a lower portion of the receptacle.

5. Dairy equipment comprising, a receptacle for liquid, a closure for the upper portion of said receptacle having thereon an air outlet communicable with a vacuum source and an air inlet communicable with the ambient atmosphere, an annular apron wall extending from said closure toward the interior of said receptacle and surrounding said outlet and inlet, a rod reciprocably mounted within said receptacle and having thereon a valve cooperable with said outlet within said wall to connect the receptacle interior with said source, another valve cooperable with said inlet within said wall to admit air to the interior of said receptacle whenever said vacuum valve is closing, means operable by said rod to actuate said valves, a float operable by liquid within said receptacle to reciprocate said rod, liquid inlet means communicating with said receptacle, and means for delivering some of the admitted liquid into said receptacle directly against the exterior of said Wall.

6. Dairy equipment comprising, a receptacle for liquid, a closure for the upper portion of said receptacle having thereon an air outlet and an air inlet, an annular apron wall depending from said closure toward the receptacle interior and surrounding said outlet and inlet, a longitudinally reciprocable rod mounted within said receptacle and having thereon a valve cooperable with said outlet within said wall to connect the receptacle interior with a vacuum source, another valve cooperable with said inlet within said wall to admit air to the receptacle interior whenever said vacuum valve is closing, a float operable by liquid within said receptacle to reciprocate said rod and to thereby actuate said valves, liquid inlet means communicating with a lower portion of the receptacle, and means for by-passing liquid from said inlet means and for directing the by-passed liquid into the receptacle against the exterior of said wall to eliminate foaming of the liquid.

7. Dairy equipment comprising, a liquid receptacle, upper and lower end closures detachably secured to said receptacle, air exhaust and inlet valves associated with said upper end closure, an annular apron depending from said upper closure and surrounding said valves, a reciprocable rod operatively connected to said exhaust valve and extending downwardly through the receptacle and within said lower closure, a float movable along said rod and coacting therewith to eifect opening and closing of said valves, conduit means for directing liquid into and away from said receptacle through said lower closure, a guiding element for said rod detachably secured within said lower closure, and means for by-passing some of the liquid directed toward said lower closure into the re ceptacle against the exterior of said upper apron.

8. Dairy equipment comprising, a liquid receptacle, upper and lower end closures detachably secured to said receptacle, air exhaust and inlet valves associated with said upper end closure, an annular apron depending from said upper closure and surrounding said valves, a longitudinally reciprocable upright rod secured to said ex haust valve and extending downwardly through the receptacle, a float movable along said rod and coacting therewith to effect opening and closing of said valves, conduit means for directing liquid into and away from said receptacle through said lower closure, a guide bar for the lower portion of said rod detachably secured to said lower closure, and means for by-passing some of the liquid directedtoward said lower closure and for delivering the by-passed liquid into said receptacle against the exterior of said upper apron.

9. Dairy equipment comprising, a receptacle for liquid, a closure for the upper portion of said receptacle having thereon an air outlet and an air inlet, an annular apron wall depending from said closure toward the re- 7 ceptacle interior and surrounding said outlet and inlet, a longitudinally reciprocable rod mounted Within said receptacle and having thereon a valve cooperable with said outlet Within said Wall to connect the receptacle interior with a vacuum source, another valve cooperable with said inlet within said wall to admit air to the receptacle interior, a float operable by liquid within said receptacle to reciprocate said rod and to thereby actuate said valves, liquid inlet means communicating Witha lower portion of the receptacle, and means for by-passing liquid from said lower inlet means and 'for directing the bypassed liquid into said receptacle against the exterior of said wall to cause said apron to deliver the by passed liquid into said receptacle in the form of an annular stream.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,702,273 Savage Feb. 19, 1929 1,756,895 Wheeler Apr. '29, 1930 2,624,355 Buchinger Jan. 6, 1953 2,625,133 Hein Jan. 13, 1953 2,733,667 Hill Feb. 7, 1956 2,829,657 Bender Apr. 8, 1958 2,895,450 Hope July 21, 1959 

